Kate Martin has generated a lot of excitement among Valkyries fans since she was drafted by the team in the Expansion Draft, and those who have played with and coached her at the Las Vegas Aces and the University of Iowa are already well aware of the reason why.
Martin's former college coach Lisa Bluder spoke to USA Today Sports Wednesday about two of her athletes and teammates — Martin and her good friend Caitlin Clark. Bluder admitted she's not surprised at all by the enthusiastic reception Martin has received ever since she was selected as the number 22 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Bluder said there's one major reason why fans are so drawn to Martin: she's a hard worker, and it's clear how much she loves the game of basketball.
"Kate was loved by everybody," Bluder said, "And, you know, those of us that know Kate personally, we understand it, but it's so interesting to see people that know her from afar, embrace her, love for the game, her joy for the game, how hard she plays."
"I just think it goes to show you that, you know, if you play the game the right way, if you have a great attitude, if you love the game, people are attracted to that and I'm excited for her to have another opportunity now and I think she's excited about it as well," Bluder added.
Martin's former teammate and friend Caitlin Clark has described her similarly. After the Expansion Draft, the Fever's star guard explained, "It's rare at the pro level what she can bring to a team. She's one of those people that's not going to care how many points, rebounds or assists she has. She's just going to come in and play as hard as possible and be the best teammate she can be. Those are the type of people you want in your locker room."
Martin is ready to "run through a brick wall" for Valkyries Coach Nakase
Martin is clearly planning to bring that positive energy and work ethic to the Bay Area ahead of the 2025 season. After this month's Expansion Draft, she told ESPN, "I'm really excited. This league is all about opportunity and you just need one shot. I'm very thankful for the Aces and everything I got to learn there, but I'm excited for this new team and to build something from the ground up."
"Coach Nakase is somebody you're going to run through a brick wall for... those are the kind of coaches that you just want to give your all for," Martin also said. "My ceiling is very high. Coach Nakase hangs her hat on defense. I want to be able to be somebody who can lock down the number one or two option on other teams."